


Dawn of the Dead: A New Beginning

by Miranthia



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/F, Mild Gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 20:48:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13108251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miranthia/pseuds/Miranthia
Summary: "New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings." --Lao Tzu





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please please please.....no flames for keeping Dawn alive, ok? I know how hated of a character she was, but I have my own headcanon for her and in my AU both she and Beth are still alive.

There had been several muttered complaints about taking on more people, a few of them more vehement and open about it than the rest, but even then they kept it under wraps for the little girl’s sake. None of them dared to challenge Rick’s decision to take them on, especially as far as Dawn was concerned, but it didn’t mean they had to  _like_  it.  
  
At first the tension had been so high, one little snap in the wrong direction would have been all that needed to have happened for disaster to strike. Tempers would have erupted, and somebody would have wound up doing something stupid.  
  
Dawn didn’t really care what anyone thought of her; she was just happy to have Mahoney back with her. She would have gone along in handcuffs if that was their wish, as long as it meant she had her daughter. It had been suggested that she be kept under lock and key, but after Taytum argued lightly on her behalf that suggestion was out.  
  
Much to Beth’s disappointment.  
  
  
After several weeks of traveling together, the group finally crossing into Virginia territory, things started to relax. Dawn proved to be a hard worker and she pulled her weight with no complaints. It was never discussed or hinted at, but gradually the others were beginning to accept her into their little group. She would probably never truly be part of them, nor fully trusted, but it was nice to know that she had a few people looking out for her.  
  
More importantly, she was happy to know that Mahoney would be taken care of if something were to happen to her. If not by their new group, then definitely by Taytum. When the little girl wasn’t with her, she was following the other woman around like her miniature shadow, Eric in tow.   
  
He was attached to Mahoney as well.  
  
Suffice it to say, the youngster was well looked after, and Dawn had never been more grateful in her entire life.  
  
  
  
The sun was just starting to peek through the trees, the limp and sun-worn leaves swaying tiredly in the gentle breeze. Mother nature had not been pleased at all thus far, the dying landscape and drying creek beds baring their wounds for all to see. The fervent wish for rain had gone unheeded for so long now that the cloudless sky would come as a surprise to no one as the day slowly progressed onwards.  
  
Dawn stirred as a ray of light slowly creeped over her closed eyes, the woman careful not to jar the tiny body that was cuddled up next to hers. She blinked slowly as her eyes finally opened, squinting immediately and grunting in discomfort, glaring at the insolent ray of sun peeking through the mesh window of their tent. Dawn sighed in defeat, knowing it was pointless to try and go back to sleep; once she was up, she was up. She looked down at the bundle curled into her left side and smiled, kissing the top of her daughter’s head softly. The sight of Eric curled around the small girl caused a quiet laugh to emanate from her chest, the woman carefully pulling her arm out from underneath Mahoney to brush her fingers softly across his cheek.  
  
As Dawn shifted to extract herself from the slumbering children she froze, the feel of another body behind hers aiding the waking process at a faster rate than normal. She blinked her dark blue eyes slowly, a soft hand subconsciously moving under the hem of her tank and up her abdomen causing the breath to catch in her throat and goosebumps to tingle all over her body, the fingers digging into her skin lightly making something low in her gut pitch forward.  
  
The moment was lost when Taytum shifted closer to Dawn, her right leg curling over the dark haired woman’s waist, her arm sliding across her chest, and her forehead pressing into the side of her neck. Dawn snorted in a combination of disbelief and amusement, trying to think of a way to escape the sleeping woman’s embrace without waking her.  
  
It was going to be next-to-impossible.  
  
Dawn sighed and finally looked down at her sleeping companion, a soft smile spreading across her face. The two women had grown increasingly closer over the past couple of weeks, and the former police officer felt herself falling for the nurse. To be honest she’d always had a thing for her; she was stunning, challenging, and Dawn was pretty fond of the bright technicolored hair that the other woman seemed to enjoy having. The thing that drew her to the younger woman though, was the fact that she was an excellent mother and took such great care of Eric and Mahoney. That little girl was Dawn’s entire world, and this woman that she’d barely even known had taken it upon herself to make sure that the girl was comfortable and safe.  
  
She had no idea how to repay Taytum for that, but if it took her searching for a way her entire life, she would find it.  
  
While the two may have grown closer, Dawn still kept herself emotionally closed off, to an extent. She was happy with where they were at; they fell into their own routine, and it was nice. Comfortable. Natural. She didn’t want to fuck things up by expressing how she felt, especially since she wasn’t even sure if the other woman returned her feelings. Sure Taytum seemed to press soft kisses to her temple, or her cheek, or her shoulder, and this one time her neck, and she always seemed to be touching her in some way or another, but that didn’t mean anything.   
  
Maybe that was just her way of being nice, right?  
  
Dawn didn’t want to read too much into it, for several reasons. Recent events that were still all too fresh for her kept her from reciprocating, no matter how much she wanted to. She felt Taytum could find someone much better anyway. She didn’t deserve her.  
  
Yet, as time went on, she felt her resolve crumbling, and that scared her more than anything. She didn’t want to lose Taytum, or Eric.  
  
  
Dawn finally pulled herself out of her musings and smiled again, throwing caution to the wind and gently pressing her lips to the sleeping woman’s forehead. Taytum grunted quietly in her sleep, a small smile curling the corner of her lips, but that was all that came of it. Dawn rolled her eyes and attempted to jiggle her right shoulder, but found that she couldn’t due to the fact that it was trapped underneath the younger woman. Dawn chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, concentrating on where her right arm actually was before attempting to raise it. She managed to see her forearm emerge from between their bodies, trying so very hard to not picture where her hand had actually been, and awkwardly tapped Taytum on the leg.  
  
“Tate.  _Taaaaaaaate_. Taytum, hey, wake up.” she tried to keep her voice as quiet as possible so she wouldn’t rouse Eric and Mahoney, but in the back of her mind she was wondering if she was going to accomplish her goal with urgent whispers. “Come on TJ, wake up.”  
  
“What? What? What is it?” a groggy voice reached her after her second attempt, the woman shooting up instantly to rest on her side, the hand that had been resting on the naked skin of Dawn’s side gliding to the side of her face instead. Taytum brushed the older woman’s skin softly with the pad of her thumb, brow furrowed in concern. “What’s wrong, darling?”  
  
“No no, nothing’s wrong, I just…” Dawn broke off as the quiet laugh died out, the other woman’s mad scramble to become coherent amusing her to no end. She opened her eyes and looked up into the confused and concerned gaze above her, breath catching in her throat once again and her mouth going dry. Dark blue eyes filled with mirth met dark green orbs full of concern, and Dawn’s entire world came to a screeching halt. Without hesitating or thinking twice about it she tangled her fingers in the messy multicolored locks and pulled Taytum down to her, Dawn’s lips connecting with the other woman’s softly.  
  
The kiss was over before it really began, Dawn laying her head back down to stare blankly up at the woman, Taytum’s lips curling into a small smile. She brushed the backs of her fingers across the dark haired woman’s cheek, tucking a strand of stray hair behind her ear. “Good morning to you as well.”  
  
Dawn swallowed deeply and opened her mouth to say something, her heart thudding loudly in her chest as she searched Taytum’s eyes with her own. The spell was broken when she finally blinked and looked away, letting out the breath that she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.   
  
“Nothing’s wrong, I just need to get up and couldn’t quite accomplish that with you….on me.” she said after a moment, patting Taytum’s leg for emphasis. She returned her gaze to the younger woman’s briefly, flashing a reassuring smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’d planned on seeing if Rick needed help with anything, if he wasn’t planning on packing up and heading out today. Noah’s place can’t be too far now.”  
  
Taytum sighed and nodded her head, trying hard to mask the disappointment that flooded her eyes, before she mentally kicked herself. They hadn’t known each other for very long, and right now they still barely knew anything about one another. There was no point in rushing anything; they’d either be a thing, or they wouldn’t be a thing. It was as simple as that.  
  
She hadn’t even liked the woman when they first met!  
  
But of course, things change, circumstances become different, and one’s feelings dance out of grasp, out of control, until you’re left with a chaotic mess that you have to sort through.  
  
Or let it consume you.  
  
“In that case,” Taytum said with a yawn, moving over so that Dawn could get up. “You have fun with that, and I’ll stay right here.”  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes as she got to her feet and moved towards the flap of the tent, looking over her shoulder to see the younger woman curl herself around Mahoney and Eric, the little girl mumbling something incoherent in her sleep as she snuggled into the nurse’s side, the younger woman laughing lowly and covering the small brunette’s cheek in kisses. Mahoney giggled drowsily in her sleep, sighing in content as arms wrapped around her before promptly dropping back to sleep. The former police officer smiled softly to herself, committing the image to memory before she exited the tent to start a new day.


	2. Chapter 2

Once outside of the tent Dawn stood to her full height and stretched, groaning in pleasure as her back cracked back into place, rolling her neck and shoulders just for good measure. She stifled a yawn and took in her surroundings, bending to take up the combat knife beside their tent and strapping it to her thigh. While she had been made to relinquish her firearm, per the terms of her joining the group, she was allowed to hang on to a knife.  
  
This, she concluded, was completely fair.  
  
They were set up in a fairly dense grove of trees, a few ramshackle buildings standing helter skelter among the foliage. A few members of the group, after deeming the buildings safe, decided to shack up inside of them, others choosing to bunker down in what few tents they had. The area was relatively safe and quiet; there was a new barbed wire fence that ran around the south-eastern side of the perimeter, to the west there was a staggering drop-off, and to the north there was a fairly steep ravine or dried up creek bed. They couldn’t really decide what it was, but it was about a ten minute walk from camp; it was narrow enough in places to step over, in other places a fit and healthy person wouldn’t make the jump, let alone a walker.  
  
All in all, they weren’t as worried as they may have been elsewhere.  
  
Or as much as they probably  _should_  have been.  
  
  
Dawn approached the biggest of the ramshackle buildings, Rick, Carol, and Tyreese going through their small armory. They’d found a folding table inside one of the shelters and hauled it outside, opting to dump their weapons onto it and do an inventory check. From the looks of things they were running low on ammo, but Dawn wagered they’d be able to hold out for a few more weeks.  
  
Rick looked up from the pistol he was checking, grunting lightly in acknowledgement when his curt nod was returned. “Mornin’. You’re up awful early, did you sleep well?”  
  
She exchanged smiles and nods with Tyreese and Carol before returning her attention back to Rick, clasping her hands behind her back. “Good morning. As well as can be expected when you’re sharing a tent with children.”  
  
At that Rick grinned a little bit, nodding his head as he continued with his task. “I believe we’re on the same page there, yeah. Tate with the kids?”  
  
“Yes, they were all still sleeping pretty soundly when I got up, but I imagine she’ll have them up before too long.”  
  
“It’s no rush, I think we’re set up here pretty good for another day or two.” he looked down at his watch, purely out of habit, before squinting up at the canopy. Light had flooded their grove quite efficiently, but it was evident that it was still early in the morning. “No need for them to be up just yet anyway, it’s still early.”  
  
Dawn smiled in appreciation and nodded, a little taken aback by the man’s kindness towards her. He was usually, at best, decent, but today he was almost genial. She mentally shrugged it off and decided to accept it, happy that this morning was starting off on a good foot. “Is there anything I can do to help?”  
  
“Now that you mention it, there is. Beth and Noah took off north about an hour ago on a ‘scouting adventure’ and they haven’t been back since. I was about to send Carol off after them, but since you’ve asked...?”  
  
Both Carol and Dawn shared knowing smirks, Tyreese and Rick opting to feign ignorance as the dark haired woman nodded and waved over her shoulder. “No need, I’m on it. Beth’s sure going to love this….”  
  
Tyreese and Rick laughed aloud with her parting remark, Carol whacking them both on the arm. “Knock it off you two, we’re all adults here.”  
  
Rick stopped chortling and wiped the corner of his eye. “Maybe you should go instead Carol, those two were just starting to kinda get along.”  
  
Dawn turned back around, continuing to walk backwards as she shot the man a look. “Really now, I can handle this. I’m sure they’re just…… We’ll be back after a while.” The three returned to their inventory taking, calling their goodbyes as the woman went off on her search.  
  
  
She tread lightly through the underbrush, completely in her element out here. Before the world had shot to shit, she’d enjoyed hiking, trail riding, biking, camping, anything that involved being outdoors. If things had of worked out differently, she could have seen herself becoming a Wildlife Park Conservationist, or a Zoo Keeper. But instead she fell in her father’s footsteps, striving to live up to his reputation, and after Hanson… She stopped that thought and took in a deep breath, opting to keep that particular aspect of her past in the past.  
  
When Mahoney got sick, there wasn’t much time for outdoorsy things. She devoted all of her time to her daughter and practically lived in the hospital room with her for the two years, off and on, that she had been admitted.  
  
After she went into remission and the oncologist babbled away in shock and surprise, she had vowed to do more things outside with the little girl.  
  
But, life has a funny way of throwing curve balls at you when you least expect it.  
  
  
Dawn crested the top of a hill and came to a halt, taking a moment to catch her breath. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, a light breeze gently sailing through the trees to bring much needed relief to the woman. It may have been early, but it was already starting to heat up.   
  
Voices at the bottom of the hill brought her back to reality and she looked across the landscape, smiling when she saw Noah and Beth. They were a little ways off, the narrower part of the ravine in front of the them. At first Dawn didn’t see that there was anything amiss; the two were standing together, Noah grasping Beth’s hand and standing slightly ahead of the girl, Beth clinging to the back of his shirt.  
  
But then Dawn noticed the rather large and menacing man about five feet in front of the two, his back to the ravine and slightly towards herself. Her brow furrowed even more when she saw the knife in his hand and she slowly crept down the hill, making the least amount of noise as she possibly could. Once she reached the bottom it would be easier; the area around the ravine was fairly barren and dusty, perfect for masking her creeping footsteps.  
  
  
“Come on son, I’m asking nicely now, aren’t I? Just let the blondie come with me and I’ll have her back to ya before dark, I promise.” The man smirked nastily at the two, making a crossing motion across his chest. “Scout’s honor.”  
  
“Look man I told you, we don’t want any trouble. You go on about your business, and we’ll go on about ours. There’s no need for this.” Noah said resolutely, not even batting an eye at the man. His eyes flickered towards their weapons at the edge of the ravine and he clenched his jaw, legs poised to spring, when the man cackled and shook his head, drawing a gun on him with his free hand.   
  
“Ah ah ah, not so fast there kid. You move a muscle and I’ll carve your legs up, then let you watch as I carve the girl up.”  
  
Beth curled her lip at the man and spit at him, her blue eyes blazing. “Fuck off you coward!”  
  
The man sneered and licked his lips, advancing towards the pair slightly. “Such a mouth on you little girl. I think it needs a good washin’ out.”  
  
“Excuse me, but is there a problem here?”  
  
The three of them whirled their heads around to see Dawn standing off to the side of them, her arms crossed and her hip cocked out to the side. Her eyes were zeroed in on the intruder, boring holes into his skull big enough to drive a truck through.  
  
Both Noah and Beth had never been happier to see her in their entire lives..  
  
The large man fixated his attention on the older woman, his eyes drinking her appearance in hungrily. “Weeeeeeell well, what have we here? How’s about you join me and the blonde here darlin’, we were just leavin’.”  
  
Dawn scrunched her nose up in disgust and eyed the man, uncrossing her arms so that her right hand hung near the hilt of the knife strapped to her. “Not even in your wildest dreams, and neither will she. Touch her, or him, and it’ll be the last thing you ever do. I guarantee it.”  
  
The man roared with laughter, oblivious to the world around him for at least twenty seconds. Dawn’s eyes flicked towards the nervous teens, seeing Noah bend ever so slowly to pick up a large rock down by his feet. She discreetly nodded her head and returned her attention to the man, a grimy finger wiping away the imaginary tears on his face. “Bitch where have you been all my life? I’m gonna have some fun with you.”   
  
She was taken aback slightly and hesitated as he advanced towards her, now fully aware of just how large the man actually was now that she was closer; he was at least a foot taller than she, and outweighed her by about a hundred pounds.  
  
“Hey douche bag!”  
  
The man whirled around and yelled out in pain, the rock smashing into the hand that was holding on to the gun. It dropped to the dirt, his injured appendage lashing out to smack Noah across the face, the hand grasping the knife lunging towards the prone form of Beth; in the squabble she had dropped to the ground, frantically trying to find the gun.  
  
Before the blade could make contact Dawn was there, pushing her out of the way, her side searing in pain as the blade slashed through it. “Get the hell out of here!” she yelled at the two, ducking another swipe from her attacker as she unsheathed her own blade and stabbed him in the thigh.  
  
Beth recovered from the blow and drug the semi-conscious Noah up to his feet, watching as the older woman threw a punch to the side of the man’s head, throwing him off balance enough for her to recover from the impact. “We’re not leaving you here!”  
  
The man threw a furious punch at her and she dodged to the side, swinging her balled up fist with all of her might, catching him right in the nose before she slashed down with the same hand, gashing him across the chest. “GO!” she yelled angrily at the girl, taking her eyes off of the thrashing man long enough to throw an exasperated glare at Beth.  
  
“Look out!”  
  
Arms were around her before she could even move and she was lifted off of the ground, the air getting crushed out of her as the man squeezed her into him, her knife clattering to the ground. Dawn latched on to his arms and dug her nails into the flesh beneath them, her feet trying to find purchase in the dusty ground as she squirmed with all her might. The man roared in pain and he flailed, catching Noah across the face again and Beth in the gut, the knife she had pulled from his hand sailing into the ravine.  
  
Dawn managed to pull herself out of his grip, but as she turned to throw another punch he backhanded her across the face, grabbing on to her upper arm as she reeled away from him, and twisted violently. She cried out in pain with the sickening  ** _crunch_**  resounding in her ears, right arm hanging uselessly at her side as she crumbled to her knees. He balled her ponytail up in his hand and dragged her up to her feet, striking her across the face again. She stumbled to the ground and the man was on top of her before she could even begin to roll away.  
  
A bloody hand went around her neck and she fought with all of her might, clawing at the man’s face with her one good arm as she tried to wriggle out from underneath him. Her back left the ground momentarily to be slammed back down, stars bursting in her vision and the air rushing forcefully out of her lungs. Unease started to build deep within her as he momentarily relinquished his grip, ripping the bottom half of her shirt open.  
  
“Don’t tou- “ she was cut off with another slap, his hand closing around her throat to pull her up and slam her back down again.  
  
“That’s right bitch, fight me. Struggle. It’ll make it aaaaaaall the more better for me.” he growled down at her, ignoring the nails digging into his injured face and hands, his free hand grappling with the struggling woman’s belt buckle.  
  
Her world started to go black as the oxygen supply was cut off to her brain and lungs, her wild attempts to get away draining her of precious energy second by second. Full blown panic set in as the man chuckled above her, managing to rip the belt off of her and tug on the waistband of her shorts, her mind blanking out.  
  
 _“Be a good girl and hold still now; if you’re lucky, you’ll get it so good you won’t be able to walk for a week.”_  
  
Gorman was staring down at her instead, his laughter and her screams echoing through her mind as her entire body started to shut down, unbidden tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes.  
  
 _“You’re weak. Pathetic. You deserve everything that I’m going to do to you, and when I’m finished you’ll be begging for more. Because you love it, every time. Don’t you, you fucking whore.”_  
  
  
Beth shook her head to rid herself of the overwhelming nausea, looking over to see Noah’s unconscious body sprawled out next to hers. She rolled over to her side, her hand touching the handle of Dawn’s knife and she closed her fist around it, staggering up to her feet. Another shake of her head cleared her vision a little better and she was horrified at the sight before her, merely inches from the edge of the ravine.  
  
Dawn was giving up.  
  
Her attempts to push the man off of her were becoming feebler.  
  
She was succumbing to the blackness that threatened to overwhelm her brain.  
  
At least if she was passed out, she wouldn’t have to go through it again, right?  
  
She just hoped the other two had managed to get away.  
  
  
As the man was attempting to shimmy her shorts down her twitching legs, her name being screamed out jarred her brain back into action. Her eyes snapped to Beth’s stumbling form, the sight of blood running down the side of her face causing the panic to be replaced by a blinding rage. Dawn snarled in anger and shoved her thumb into the man’s unsuspecting eye, gouging as hard as she could, feeling the pressure alleviate off of her windpipe long enough to suck in a much needed breath. She forced her shaking limbs to cooperate with her and kneed him in the groin with all of her might, the man backing off of her completely to cup himself in agony. Dawn dragged her hand away from his face long enough to raise herself slightly, and connect her head with his nose.  
  
Just as Beth reached them, the man tumbling back into the ravine behind him, Dawn rolled herself over to scramble to her feet, but she didn’t move fast enough. A hand closed around her ankle and she was dragged into the ravine after him, yelling out in shock as dirt walls engulfed her. Her eyes were closed tight and a blood curdling scream was echoing around her, along with terrifying groans and moans.   
  
 _This is it. This is how I die. Torn apart by walkers, at the bottom of some fucking ditch._    
  
 _I guess I had this coming._  
  
When the sounds weren’t coming any closer and she was, in fact, not being devoured, Dawn took in a deep breath and opened her eyes, a solid yet slightly crumbling dirt wall faced her, one of her feet conveniently braced against it. She chanced a look down and grimaced, regretting that decision even though she found her other foot be be balanced precariously on the edge of a rock jutting out of the wall behind her. About five feet below her there were ten walkers ripping the man into shreds, oblivious to the woman dangling above them. Her right shoulder hung limply at her side, refusing even the most basic of commands. After a minute she gave up trying to move the thing, and finally chanced a look up.  
  
Beth was hanging partially over the edge of the ravine, a death grip on Dawn’s arm, the other clasped around the handle of the knife. When she saw the two go over the edge she threw herself at the older woman, grabbing on to her forearm and managing to sink the blade of the knife into the ground.  
  
“Beth, are you alright?!”  
  
“Just peachy. Hang on, I think I can pull us out of here.” the small blonde grit her teeth and tugged with all her might, feeling the blade starting to loosen in the dry soil. “Shit! Ok just…..just give me a minute to think.”  
  
Dawn rest her head back against the ravine wall and closed her eyes, feeling dirt trickle into her ruined top. She pushed her foot against the opposite wall softly and felt it sink into the dirt a fraction, her body stilling before her other foot could slip off of the rock.  
  
She laughed quietly to herself, her brow creasing into a frown.  
  
There was only one way out of this.  
  
She swallowed thickly and took in a deep breath, letting it back out slowly. “Beth.” she croaked out.  
  
“Maybe if I can sorta swing myself to the other side and stretch out really fa-”  
  
 _“Beth.”_  
  
“No that wouldn’t work, maybe if-”  
  
“ **BETH**  shut the fuck up for a second!!”  
  
The blonde fell silent and looked down at the older woman as best as she could, her glassy eyes meeting those of the former police officer’s. Dawn shook her head, dirt falling down onto her battered face as she smiled softly up at the younger woman. “It’s ok, just let me go.”  
  
“Like hell I’m doing that!”  
  
“Beth it’s the only option. This wall will only hold my weight for so much longer, and I know that blade will give out soon, too. You have to let me go.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Beth-”  
  
“Dawn, no!”  
  
She squeezed Beth’s forearm tightly for a second, feeling her foot sink into the wall again. “You have to, sweetheart. I’m not letting you die down here; you still have your life ahead of you. You are strong. You are a survivor. This isn’t how you’re meant to go. You have so much left to give to this world, and you’re going to prove that you can make it.”  
  
Beth pressed the side of her face into her arm, quieting the scream of frustration that threatened to rip itself out of her lungs. She sniffed briskly and looked back down at Dawn, an exasperated frown creasing her brow. “I thought I was nothing. I thought I was just a burden to someone out here, that I wasn’t made for this life.”  
  
Dawn shook her head slowly and let out a short laugh, frowning up at Beth. “I lied. I was wrong…...I was stupid, childish, and naive. I was pushing my insecurities and doubts about myself, onto you. And I’m sorry. So very sorry, for everything. It’s no excuse for the things I put you through, but I am very sincere about this. Not just because of the situation we’re in at this particular moment, this conversation has been a long time in coming.”  
  
Beth shook her head and squared her jaw, trying to pull them both up again. “Don’t start that shit with me. We’re both getting out of here, and I’m going to kick your ass after we do. You’re the tough-as-nails-cold-hearted Officer Dawn-fucking-Lerner. You’re not a softie.”  
  
She laughed slightly at that and sighed. “If life were only that simple, right?” She took in a deep breath and swallowed, squeezing Beth’s arm again. “Just go. I’ll be fine.”  
  
The younger woman growled in frustration, trying to muster all the upper body strength she had to tug the woman up after her, ignoring the fact that she was beginning to lose her grip on the knife handle. “I told you, I’m not going anywhere. We’re getting out of this. Together.”  
  
“Do not make me sink my nails into your wrist. They’re caked with that asshole’s blood, I don’t think that’d be a good mix.”  
  
“You have a family to get back to! Don’t you dare just give up on them you crazy bitch! What about Mahoney? And Eric? And Taytum? What about them, hu-”  
  
“BETH.” Dawn yelled brokenly, unable to stop the sob as it ripped out of her. She had tried, so hard, to not think about all of them. She wasn’t being selfish, this was the right thing to do.  
  
The  _only_  thing to do.  
  
“Please,” she begged quietly, releasing her own grip on the blonde. “Just let me go.”  
  
Beth’s eyes widened in panic as she felt her grip on Dawn give without the extra aide, her heart pounding madly in her ears as the woman began to slip out of reach. “DAWN, NO!”  
  
She released her hold on the knife handle, reaffirming her grip around the older woman’s wrist as the both of them slid over the edge, Beth’s fingers scrabbling for something to grab on to to no avail.  
  
This was how it was going to end.  
  
Panicked voices erupted around them and several pairs of hands shot out to grab onto the blonde’s, arms reaching over and down into the ravine to help pull the exhausted pair onto solid ground again, the younger girl automatically throwing herself onto Dawn once they were there. She buried her face into the side of the older woman’s neck, practically laying on her. Dawn had her good arm wrapped around her and held her as tightly as she could, her forehead pressed into the girls shoulder, her body shaking with suppressed sobs.  
  
They sat like that for a minute, each one refusing to let go of the other, ignoring the babbling and cries of relief that had exploded around them. Their saviors allowed them the time they needed, none of them keen to rush either one of the girls in case it would cause unintentional damage. After a moment the two seemed to relax around one another, bodies too exhausted and numb to feel any pain. Only after they were done did gentle hands snake between the two and help them up to their feet, someone rushing to support Beth as she stumbled, another person scooping Dawn into their arms as she collapsed towards the dusty ground.  
  
Dawn opened her mouth to ask about Noah, but only managed a strangled sounding croak. She was shushed gently, the words of comfort sweeping over her as she spaced out, surprisingly resisting the urge to just pass out in the arms that surrounded her. Instead she pressed her face into the soft skin of a graceful neck, her fingers resting on a bare shoulder. She blinked several times, her vision still a little blurry, but she was able to make out technicolored hair.  
  
“Tate?” she finally managed to gasp out.  
  
“Shh, just rest love, everything’s going to be alright. We’re headed back to the camp. Shouldn’t be long now.” Taytum said quietly, trying to avoid taking the dark haired woman’s appearance in fully.   
  
If she did now, she’d break.  
  
“B-beth? N-n-noah?”  
  
“They’re fine honey, I promise. Maggie and Glenn have Beth, and Ty’s helping Noah. He was coming to when we got there.”  
  
Dawn swallowed thickly, closing her eyes momentarily. Remaining conscious was becoming increasingly harder for her as her already depleted store of energy ebbed away even further, the blood loss making her head fuzzy. “H…..how? How did….?”  
  
Taytum hitched Dawn up higher in her arms, refusing to stop and take a break, or ask for help from the people walking around her. “Something….. something just didn’t feel right. I could feel it, in my gut. Then when Rick said where you’d gone……I just knew.”  
  
“Don’t…..don’t let Mahoney see me like this, ok? Pr-promise me, Taytum, that you won’t…. not again. Not ever again.”  
  
A tear snaked it’s way down the younger woman’s cheek, her heart breaking in her chest at the sound of the plea. She quickly pressed a soft kiss to the top of Dawn’s head, nodding her head and attempting to gather her composure. “I promise.”  
  
  
They reached the campsite quicker than was expected, Rick and Maggie ushering Taytum into the biggest building of the cluster, Daryl and Carol hurrying off to keep both Mahoney and Eric preoccupied for the time being. Maggie rushed to bring a bucket of fresh water into one of the main rooms, thankful that they’d found the spring the day before. She dashed off to grab one of their emergency medical kits for Taytum, Rick preparing a cot in the adjacent room for the injured woman to rest on. Maggie returned shortly after with the kit and a change of fresh clothes, she and Rick making sure the two were set before hurrying off to tend to Beth and Noah.  
  
The nurse side of Taytum took over and she meticulously scoured every inch of Dawn’s skin, peeling the ruined clothes off of the beaten woman’s body and sitting her on top of a cabinet in nothing but her undergarments. She didn’t speak as she cleaned, sterilized, and dressed the minor wounds, fairly certain that the gash in her side was going to require stitches. Her hands began to shake the longer she worked on the other woman, anger and sadness flooding through her as her fingers ran over the various cuts and bruises.  
  
“Taytum, say something, please. Or just….look at me.”  
  
“I am looking at you.”  
  
“You know what I mean, smart-ass.”  
  
The younger woman took in a deep breath, setting her supplies aside, and finally looked at the dark haired woman, allowing her eyes and her mind to take in the woman’s appearance.  
  
It was heart shattering.  
  
Dawn’s lip was busted, both of her cheeks were bruised, blood had been steadily dripping down and out of her nose, her left eye was black and swollen, a nasty gash underneath it. There were dark bruises around her neck, her wrists, and her right forearm, and there were more on her arms, legs, stomach, and all over her back. Along with the gash in her right side, there were cuts on her arms, legs, torso, and a long one on her back that stretched from left hip to right shoulder blade.  
  
And her shoulder….  
  
Taytum touched it gingerly, Dawn hissing in pain, though really it was more of an instinctual reaction than anything. She still couldn’t feel much of anything. “I think it’s dislocated. Do you think you can….?”  
  
The nurse nodded, bracing her hands on the front and back of Dawn’s shoulder. “Just breathe, alright?”  
  
Dawn nodded and took in a deep breath, readying herself. She cried out and swallowed the overwhelming nausea as Taytum shoved her joint back into place, the younger woman pacing in agitation, cursing herself for hurting the former police officer. “Shhh, no no, stop. Tate, stop.” she reached out with her good arm and pulled the muttering woman towards her, brushing technicolored hair out of her face. “It wasn’t your fault. You’re not the one that hurt me, understand?”  
  
Taytum took in a deep breath and nodded, helping the injured woman down off of the cabinet. “You’re as cleaned up as I can manage with what we’ve got. I’ll change your dressings later, and if that gash doesn’t look any better in a few days, I’m afraid I’m going to have to stitch it.”  
  
Dawn nodded, holding her injured arm into her body as she attempted to dress herself, ignoring Taytum’s offer to help. She sucked in a sharp breath as she bent to pull the new shorts up her legs, squeezing her eyes shut and bracing herself on the cabinet as the pain shot through her. Dawn took in a deep breath and pushed back the nausea once more, sweeping a strand of black hair out of her face as she glanced at the nurse briefly. “Would you mind….?”  
  
She frowned slightly at the older woman’s behavior, shaking it off in order to help her into the clean clothes. When they were finished she fashioned a crude sling out of some of the extra bandages, resting Dawn’s arm in it. She was glad to see that her fingers were twitching, the normal color slowly returning to them. She wrapped her arm around Dawn and led her towards the cot that Rick had readied for her, picking up the bottle of water and painkillers to hand off to her patient. The older woman downed them without comment, setting the bottle back down on the table once she had finished.  
  
“Dawn, look at me.” Tate couldn’t take it anymore; the woman hadn’t looked her in the eye a single time since they had returned to camp.  
  
Dawn frowned and opted to look down at her feet instead, subconsciously flexing and unflexing her right hand. A soft hand gently cupped her injured face, fingers finding their way under her chin to raise it up, her dark blue eyes forced to look up into dark green. The concern and compassion that was in them caused everything to surface within Dawn; the guilt, the sorrow, the horror…..everything that she had gone through at Grady Memorial, coupled with the events that had occurred not even an hour ago ripped itself out of her chest in one heart-wrenching sob, her eyes brimming with tears.  
  
Taytum choked back her own at the sight of this woman breaking before her, fingers caressing the side of her face softly. “I won’t ask you what happened, and I don’t expect you to tell me right away. You tell me when you’re ready, and not a moment before, alright? I’m here for you, and I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”  
  
The older woman dissolved into tears, no longer able to keep it all bottled up inside of her. She buried her face into Taytum’s shoulder and sobbed her heart out, holding on to the other woman like her life depended on it.  
  
All Tate could do was stand there and hold her, rubbing gentle circles into the shaking woman’s back. She had to be the rock that grounded the older woman, because if she wasn’t…..Dawn would disappear.   
  
And Taytum would follow her.  
  
After Dawn had cried herself into utter exhaustion, the nurse laid her down on the cot and curled up next to her, pulling the woman flush against her back and wrapping her arm protectively around her, pressing a gentle kiss to her shoulder. As she drifted off to sleep, Taytum remained with her until she was positive she was asleep, running her fingers through Dawn’s black tresses, her tears silently dripping into them.  
  
It would be months before Dawn was ready to talk about anything, and even then it was going to be extremely rough. For the both of them.  
  
Until then Taytum stayed by Dawn’s side, helping the woman to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and make her whole again.  
  
In the same process, Dawn was helping to put Taytum back together, too.


	3. Chapter 3

A month had gone by since the incident, and still the world kept spinning, undeterred and uninterrupted, as if the new reigning chaos was the natural state.   
  
As if it had been the natural state since the very beginning.  
  
In retrospect, chaos always  _had_  been.  
  
After the attack the general consensus had been to stay in their temporary home for at least a week, against the protests of Dawn, Beth, and Noah. The three had been ready to leave the very next day despite their wounds. However they were outvoted and promptly quit arguing the matter, though that did not stop them from muttering mutinously when they believed Rick to be out of earshot.   
  
Unfortunately, things continued to tumble downhill for the exhausted party. Their quest to Richmond took much longer than had been anticipated due to automotive problems, and the lack of decent replacements along the way. They trekked on regardless, none of their minds wavering from their ultimate goal.  
  
Yet, it would have been better if they had given up on their plan.  
  
Shirewilt, had been a bust.  
  
The entire community was deserted, save for some straggling walkers, and poor Noah had learned of his family’s fate.  
  
That same day, they lost Tyreese.  
  
They couldn’t seem to catch a break.  
  
Just when they felt like there was no point in continuing on, the rain finally came, a whole different set of perils rushing in with it, but even so; rain was rain. It may have been a blessing in disguise, but when the morning came and they had survived the night, they all breathed a little easier.  
  
And then there was Aaron, with the talks of a safe place…. a community that sounded too good to be true.  
  
Alexandria.  
  
  
A month.  
  
It had only been a month, but for so many it felt like it had been just yesterday. The sorrow still ran deep, the wounds still raw, even though they tried to move past it. Loss of this caliber was just a part of the new chaotic world now.  
  
The world that refused to stop spinning for even a second.  
  
  
Dawn stood in front of the lavish sink, viewing herself in the partially steamed-over mirror. It was all so surreal, standing in the midst of a fully functioning bathroom that was in pristine condition, a stranger staring back at her. She hadn’t viewed herself in a mirror for a very long time, avoiding it even when she was at Grady. She refused to look at and acknowledge the woman that she had become.  
  
Now here she stood, her brow furrowed and mouth going dry at the image before her. Her hair was longer than it had been, the black tresses tumbling over her shoulders, the ends tickling her shoulder blades. The cuts and bruises were slowly starting to heal and fade, some of them still rather deep and ugly. The gash under her left eye was going to scar, along with the cut on her lip. Her eyes continued down her body, taking in the sight of her slightly protruding collarbone and fraying bra, snorting as she eyed the thin material disdainfully. “Oh yes, that’s so sexy.”  
  
She sighed and turned to the side, glancing at her equally raised hip bone before raising her arm slightly to view the gash that was still there. It had been much worse than Taytum had anticipated, and after two days the state of it had become worrisome. After drinking half a bottle of Jack one night, Dawn had drunkenly agreed to let the woman stitch it up. The hangover the next day wasn’t pretty, but it had been worth it. Taytum had removed the stitches several days prior to them arriving in Alexandria, and while it was still tender to the touch, it was on the mend.  
  
“I’m glad we were able to tend to that more thoroughly. I imagine it would have been extremely infected if we had waited much longer.”  
  
Dawn’s eyes darted to the second reflection in the mirror, Taytum leaning against the doorframe as she ran her own eyes down the older woman’s partially naked frame. She didn’t move as Tate walked further into the bathroom, a frown creasing her brow as she reached a hand out and placed it on the dark haired woman’s shoulder. “I’m just sorry about the scar it’s going to leave. This one, too.”   
  
Dawn quietly sucked in a stuttering breath, a shiver running up her spine as she felt the woman’s finger gently trace the healing cut that stretched from her hip to her shoulder blade. Her brain fogged over as she attempted to put her words together, fingers still gliding over her skin making it hard to focus. She finally snapped back to reality and cleared her throat, shrugging her shoulders slightly. “It’s not your fault, Tate. They’re just scars. It definitely could have been worse.”  
  
Taytum smiled slightly and bent to press a kiss to the shoulder beneath her hand, her drying tresses brushing against Dawn’s skin softly. “That’s true, it definitely could have been. I guess we’re both branded for life now.” She smiled slightly and lowered her gaze, squeezing her shoulder gently. “I’ll let you get to your shower then, I’m sure you’ve been dying to take one.”  
  
The older woman smiled in thanks, disappointment filling her being as she heard her walk away. With a sigh she turned on the tap and reached behind her, fingers grappling with the clasp of her bra when pain shot through her right side, causing her to suck in a sharp breath and groan in discomfort.   
  
“What is it? Are you alright?”  
  
Hands were back on her skin once more and Dawn was yet again stumbling over the thoughts reeling through her brain. “This stupid….”  
  
Taytum helped straighten her arm out and unclasped the garment for her, sliding the straps down her shoulders before returning her fingers to the right one. “Is your shoulder still bothering you?”  
  
Dawn tensed up as the younger woman kneaded the muscle underneath her hands, wincing and hissing in pain. “Sometimes, and only if I seem to bend it a certain way.”  
  
“The muscle may have torn just a little bit when that asshole…”  
  
"Don't, what's done is done." The pain started to die away and Dawn  _hmmed_  in pleasure, the tension dissolving as her body relaxed against the other woman’s. “Guess we’ll never know for sure, though. I’ll be fine.”  
  
After a minute or two Taytum ceased her ministrations to snake her arms around Dawn’s waist, her fingers slowly undoing the buckle on her belt. Hands sliding under the waistband of both her shorts and her underwear jolted her mind back to the present and Dawn felt the flush burning high in her cheeks, teeth chewing on her bottom lip. “Wh-wha….?”  
  
“Relax, I’m going to help you shower.”  
  
Dawn could feel the smirk on the other woman’s lips without even seeing it, an annoyed look replacing the fluster on her face. “I’m a grown ass woman, I can bathe myself.”  
  
Taytum snorted and slid the garments past her hips, letting gravity do the rest of the work for her. “Not with that shoulder you can’t. Now shut up and get under the water.”  
  
The low grumblings were cut off when the younger woman gave her a slight push, the dark haired woman gasping in shock before it turned into a groan of delight. “Oh good Lord that feels magnificent.”  
  
“I haven’t even started yet!”  
  
“Don’t kill my moment, Tate.”  
  
“Alright water queen, just back up towards the door when you’ve had your fill, yeah?”  
  
“Yes, mother.”  
  
  
Taytum was finding it increasingly harder to concentrate the longer she spent with the older woman, her fingers gently massaging shampoo into her scalp, the sounds that Dawn was making causing her insides to squirm. She’d managed to hold it together so far; surely she could last the next twenty minutes or so.  
  
That was the hope, anyway.  
  
“What do you make of this place?” she asked after a while, holding the shower-head in her hand to rinse the shampoo out of Dawn’s hair.  
  
Dawn thought on the question for a moment, using her left hand to help scrub the floral scented stuff out of her hair, lips pursed in thought. “It’s nice, and the people here are decent enough. But I can’t help….”  
  
“Feeling that it’s too good to be true?”  
  
“Yeah.” The two fell silent once more, her eyes fluttering closed as the younger woman began to work conditioner into her black locks, her head tilting back slightly. “Rick and Carol are right, you know. We shouldn’t let our guard down, or let them really know who we are.”  
  
“How did you know about that?”  
  
“The same way that you do.”  
  
“Touche.”  
  
“What are you going to tell Deana during your interview? You can’t exactly pull off the plain and simple little housewife facade, I’m sorry.”  
  
Taytum snorted and quirked an eyebrow. “You’re saying that you could?”  
  
“Not even on a good day.”  
  
The younger woman laughed, gently pushing Dawn’s head under the stream of water so they could rinse the conditioner out next. “Obviously we knew each other before everything. I was the Anatomy teacher at a High School in Georgia, and you were the librarian.”  
  
“A librarian, really?” If she could of, she would’ve thrown a dirty look over her shoulder at the woman, but she was enjoying the feel of her fingers massaging her scalp to go through with it. “Why do you get to be the teacher?”   
  
“Hey, who’s telling this story? Besides, you have the librarian look; all strict and no-nonsense, and I bet you’d look sexy as hell in black rimmed glasses.”  
  
Heat flooded Dawn’s body and she grinned quietly to herself, happy that Dawn couldn’t see the flush that once again colored her cheeks. “Continue.”  
  
Taytum shook her head and laughed quietly to herself, picking up where she had left off. “Right, where was I? Oh yes; our husband’s served in the same military unit together, and died as war heroes before everything began. We’ve been traveling with different groups, and when our last one fell apart, we were taken in by Rick’s. Simple as that.”  
  
Dawn finished lathering the front of her body up with the equally flowery-smelling body wash, looking over her shoulder at Taytum as she passed the scrunchie to her. She searched the dark emerald eyes with her own, a small frown creasing her brow at the mention of a husband. “Was he? A war hero?”  
  
Taytum took the soapy object in her hand and slowly scrubbed the older woman’s back, swallowing thickly as she shook her head. “No, he wasn’t.”  
  
The two fell silent after that, both lost in their own thoughts. Taytum hadn’t opened up about her past at all to the other woman, and while Dawn didn’t press the matter any, she was curious to know about her life before the end of the world. Part of her wondered if she didn’t already have it figured out; Taytum would flinch sometimes when a person raised their hand too quickly, or if they took her by surprise.  
  
The longer she thought about it, the hotter her blood burned at the thought of somebody striking this woman in any way.  
  
If the man wasn’t already dead, she’d kill him herself if the opportunity ever presented itself.  
  
The water was turned off and a towel enveloped her from behind, arms helping her to step out of the shower and onto a fuzzy rug, the towel snaking up her body to tousle long dark tresses. Dawn quietly allowed the woman to dry her off as she ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to untangle it, tucking the corners of the towel into the edges once it was wrapped around her. Only then did she finally turn to face the younger woman, frowning slightly when she realized that she was taller.  
  
That’s something that she’d never really noticed before, until now. Mostly because they were usually wearing boots that brought them to be about eye-level. Now she saw that the younger woman had about five inches on her. In the back of her mind this fact annoyed her just a tiny bit, but it was more-or-less a passing thought.   
  
Dawn shifted her eyes to the younger woman’s hair, her hand subconsciously raising to run her fingers through the thick locks. The bright colors that the woman was so fond of had almost faded completely away, leaving behind a beautiful dark brown. While she herself liked the rainbow medley as well, she was much more taken with this natural color. She missed the sharp intake of air that the other woman had taken in, green eyes darkening slightly.   
  
Dawn’s eyebrow quirked slightly as she gently tugged on a strand of hair, Taytum snapping out of her daze to laugh lightly. “I’ve been saving it for Mahoney.”  
  
A soft smile crept across Dawn’s face, her hand moving to cup the taller woman’s cheek, her thumb gently brushing across the soft skin underneath it. It was her turn to suck in a sharp breath when Taytum took a step closer to her, fingers on one hand running along her clavicle while the other snaked around her waist. A frown creased the woman’s brow and she dragged her eyes to the older woman’s, her thumb dancing across the skin on her neck. “You haven’t been eating.”  
  
Sapphire eyes fell from emerald and she shifted slightly, teeth once again gnawing at her bottom lip. “Not really, no. At least not prior to meeting Aaron. I had been giving most of it to Mahoney and Eric, before we got here. You remember what it was like, our rations were really low an-”  
  
Lips cut her off and she gasped in surprise, the gasp turning into a moan as Taytum’s tongue caressed her own, her hand sliding back up into the dark brown tresses to pull the taller woman closer to her body. They stood like that for what felt like an eternity, exploring each other's mouths slowly and deliberately. Fingers tangled into her black locks to tug on the strands gently, tilting Dawn’s face, allowing Taytum to deepen the kiss even further, Dawn’s nails digging into her back as the shorter woman’s body was pulled flush against hers.  
  
The need for air finally arose and the two broke apart, Dawn groaning in protest at the action. Both of their lips swollen, breath escaping them in ragged patterns as their eyes locked together, each pair darkened by the lust swirling in their bodies.  
  
“House?” Dawn asked breathlessly, eyes searching the brunette’s.  
  
“Empty.”  
  
“Kids?”  
  
“Still with Tara.”  
  
Their lips came crashing back together in a passionate kiss, the towel falling away from Dawn's body to pool at her feet, Taytum's hands everywhere at once. A surge of heat flared up low in her belly as the younger woman tore her mouth away from the older woman's, lips ghosting over her jawline and down her neck. Dawn cried out shortly when the seeking mouth latched on to the side of her neck, her entire core throbbing in need.  
  
A moment later she was gasping in shock and hitting the brunette on the arm, the woman smirking as she ran her tongue over the angry mark beneath it. "Was that completely necessary?! What are you,  _five_?" Despite the annoyance she couldn't help but grin slightly, her body arching as Taytum's mouth moved lower. Her legs dissolved to jelly when the younger woman's mouth latched onto her breast, tongue swirling around the pert nipple slowly before teeth sank into it, sending a jolt of electricity straight to her throbbing center. The moisture between her legs increased and Dawn forced Taytum's head up to hers, claiming her mouth desperately. Her teeth tugged on the woman's bottom lip, ego soaring in satisfaction as the brunette groaned lowly in want.  
  
"Bed. Now."  
  
Taytum wasted no time, her hands cupping the dark haired woman's ass to lift her up, Dawn's legs wrapping around her waist immediately. The younger woman sucked in a sharp breath and growled lowly in the back of her throat, hands snaking up the back of her shirt to run nails down her bare back almost causing her to stumble into the doorframe. Dawn broke away from the kiss to laugh in triumph, once again gasping in shock when she was dropped onto a soft mattress, her back connecting with it as the younger woman covered her body with her own.  
  
Unbidden panic swept through her as Taytum pinned her hands above her head, tension flooding through her body. The younger woman picked up on it immediately and released her hold on the older woman’s wrists, flipping their positions gently. She rest her back against the headboard, bringing Dawn into her lap. She kept her hands by her sides, squeezing her eyes shut in shame as Dawn took in several calming breaths, the tremors starting to die down in her body. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”  
  
“Tate it’s alright, it’s not your fault.”  
  
“Still, I-”  
  
“Stop.”  
  
The two fell silent after a moment, the brunette finally returning her gaze to the dark headed woman. “Is it alright if I touch you?”  
  
Dawn smiled softly and nodded, her eyes fluttering shut as hesitant hands gently cupped her face, fingers gently brushing through her damp locks. The older woman took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, turning her face to press her lips to the younger woman’s palm. Her name was uttered softly and she opened her eyes, locking them onto Taytum's seeking gaze. "You know that I would never hurt you, right? And I would never, ever, force you to do something that you didn't want to, or weren't comfortable with. As much as I want this, I don't want to rush you or-"  
  
A soft pair of lips effectively silenced her, Dawn threading her fingers through the younger woman's hair and tilting her head back, her body pressing into the other woman's as she deepened the kiss and straddled her waist. Arms wrapped around her, fingers dancing across the naked skin of her sides and back causing her to moan quietly into the brunette's mouth. The fabric from Taytum’s shirt rubbed against Dawn’s hardened nipples as the two moved together, causing a shudder to travel up the woman’s body. While the friction was delicious, she wanted to feel the taller woman’s skin against her own.  
  
However, the hands that were mapping the planes of her naked skin was making it difficult to do, the woman beneath her smirking knowingly as she left more marks along the bare skin before her. The shirt was finally tugged off of the woman with a frustrated growl, bra following soon after, Dawn crashing their lips together once more.  
  
She broke the kiss with a muffled groan, Taytum’s clothed hips grinding up into her own, fingers ghosting along bare thighs. They both stilled and shuddered at the action, the feel of their chests pressing together heightening the feeling. Her head fell back and a breathy moan ripped out of her chest, Taytum’s lips attached to the side of her neck as her fingers slid through her moist folds softly, teeth nipping at the spot as her digits slid effortlessly into the older woman’s body. Her back arched as she rolled her hips down onto the thrusting fingers, her nails digging into the brunette’s biceps.  
  
Taytum ran her tongue up Dawn’s neck, her lips barely touching the woman’s slightly parted ones, short ragged breaths escaping them. The awkward angle her hand was in was causing her arm to cramp up slightly, but she continued on regardless, sliding a third finger into the trembling woman’s body. She wanted nothing more than to pin her down and spread her legs wide, but she resisted the urge. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could carry on like this though; the cramp was getting worse and she was afraid of being a disappointment.  
  
“Can I….?”  
  
“Yes!” Came the throaty reply, Dawn’s back once again connecting to the mattress as Taytum pushed them forward, her body fitting perfectly between the dark haired woman’s legs. She hitched the woman's leg up higher against her hip, the toned calf flexing slowly and curling around her waist as the older woman continued to rock her hips in time with the brunette's thrusting fingers. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream and she arched her back, breath escaping her in ragged pants when Taytum curled her fingers deep inside of her, the heel of her hand rubbing against that little bundle of nerves every time the two surged together.  
  
Taytum hissed as nails dragged down her back once more, positive that she would have the angry marks for a while. However she didn’t care; any scars of Dawn’s doing, she would wear with honor. Her own core throbbed with need as the dark haired woman's cries increased, the sound enough to drive her over the edge. She left sloppy open mouthed kisses along the heaving woman's chest and neck, feeling inner muscles begin to tighten around her fingers, hips rocking more urgently into her.  
  
Dawn's back began to arch off of the mattress, feeling her release building with an intensity that she had never experienced before. Sweat dripped down her body and her lungs fought for air, moans escaping her parted lips louder and louder the closer she got to the edge. "T-tate, I....I'm...."  
  
Taytum pressed her lips to the underside of Dawn’s chin, her thumb rubbing tight circles around the woman’s swollen clit in time with her curling fingers. "Don't hold back. Come for me, darling."  
  
Blinding white light burst behind her closed eyes as her orgasm rushed through her, Taytum's name flowing from her lips in a ragged scream. The younger woman peppered her face with kisses, continuing to stroke her silky folds softly as the woman rode out the waves of her release, her chest rising and falling heavily as she struggled to control her breathing. Taytum had shifted to the side of the older woman, her head propped up in one hand, the other resting on the panting woman's abdomen.  
  
She took the time to marvel over the older woman’s shaking and shimmering body, a little disappointed that she didn’t take the time to explore it more thoroughly and leave more of her marks on the woman.  
  
There would be more time for that in the future.  
  
Taytum was so caught up in her thoughts that before she knew what was happening, Dawn was rolling into her and connecting their lips, a hand snaking down into her pants. She groaned into the dark haired woman's mouth, her fingers digging into the woman's lower back and her hips rolling onto the thrusting fingers of their own accord.  
  
It didn't take long for her to reach release; she had already been on the brink when Dawn had been thrown over the edge. Now she held the older woman's arm in place as she ground down onto the slender digits, her body going rigid and her mouth tearing away from the other woman's. She came quietly, her body quaking and her breath escaping her in shaky gusts. She pulled the older woman's body closer to her own, their lips coming together softly as the two finally looked at one another, breathing returning back to normal and content smiles gracing their kiss-swollen mouths.  
  
  
Dawn pressed a kiss to Taytum's sweaty temple, snuggling into the taller woman's body as the sheet was drawn up around them, her fingers tracing intricate patterns into the arm curled around her.   
  
"Tate?" she asked after a moment, forcing her drooping eyes to stay open.  
  
"Hmm?" the brunette grunted into the other woman's forehead, sleep stealing over her exhausted body.  
  
Dawn hesitated and chewed on her bottom lip, unsure if she wanted to proceed with her current thought or not. She felt gentle fingers brush the side of her face and she looked up, her eyes locking onto Taytum's, noticing the small crease in her brow. "This is going to sound completely cliche, and cheesy, but.....I think....” she broke off and took in a deep breath, letting it back out a heartbeat later. I'm in love with you, Taytum. Have been for a while. I've just been....."  
  
The slow smile that spread across the younger woman's face was enough to quiet Dawn's ramblings, the older woman returning the genuine gesture whole-heartedly. Taytum leaned forward to kiss the dark haired woman slowly, resting her forehead against Dawn's after they parted. "I'm in love with you, too."  
  
"Oh good, now I don't feel as awkward."  
  
Taytum snorted and closed her eyes, once again pulling the other woman closer into her, their legs tangling under the sheet. "Shut your eyes and rest for a bit. We'll probably need to be up before too long, so might as well try and sleep while we can."  
  
All she got was a content murmur in reply, Dawn already drifting off into a peaceful sleep. Taytum grinned and closed her eyes, sighing happily as she followed blissfully along, the older woman's steady breathing lulling her to sleep.  
  
This was definitely a feeling that she could get used to.


	4. Chapter 4

_They were trapped.  
  
In a school, of all places. At this point Dawn couldn’t even remember why they were there in the first place, but she knew going in that it was going to be a bad idea.  
  
She just didn’t know  **how**  bad it was until now.  
  
Taytum and Tara were currently pushing their bodies as hard as they could against a set of double doors, the objects shuddering as several of their dead counterparts threw themselves against it, the moans and groans echoing around the room they were in. Dawn searched frantically for something to bar the door with, trying to quench the overwhelming panic that she felt building up inside of her.  
  
There was literally nowhere for them to go. The two doors to the right and left of the room were both shut and barred, though she could see them shake slightly as rotting hands pounded on them from the other side. The double doors in front of them were cracked and broken, several walkers ambling about just beyond them. Thankfully, they hadn’t taken notice of the commotion coming from within the building.  
  
Yet.  
  
She spotted a janitorial mop in one corner and grabbed it up, hurrying back to the two to shove the object through the handles. It was only a temporary fix, the three of them knowing that it wouldn’t hold for much longer.  
  
“What do we do?” Tara asked quietly, eyes darting around for some alternate escape route.  
  
“Whatever it is we need to do it fast; that mop handle isn’t going to last much longer, and the doors on the opposite sides of the room are starting to give.”  
  
That left them with only one option: the front doors.   
  
The front doors that were broken, wouldn’t lock, and had walkers on the other side as well. They were completely out of ammo, and there were too many to take on with just knives.  
  
The sound of splintering wood reached the three, and Taytum made the decision for them.  
  
She shoved Dawn out of the front doors, followed by a flabbergasted Tara. Before either one could pull them back open she ripped her belt off and quickly wrapped it around the handles, semi-securing the glass doors.  
  
“Tate no, don’t you even fucking dare!”  
  
“We can’t outrun them all love, and if you don’t start running now you’re going to draw attention from the ones out there.” She smiled slightly and swallowed the panic building inside of her, clutching her knife in one hand. “Get her out of here Tara, now." She glanced back over her shoulder, the groans increasing in pitch as more joined the crowd. "They’re only children, after all.”  
  
“TJ haven’t you seen these kinds of movies?! The zombie children don’t care, dude! They’re the sneaky little shits you’ve gotta look out for!”  
  
“Taytum, don’t do this. We can all make it out of here! Please open the doors!”  
  
She backed away from the glass and shook her head, slashing the palm of her hand with the blade of her knife just as the mop handle broke and the doors burst open.  
  
“This will buy you some time. Get out of here, now, and don’t you dare watch. Understand? Take care of our children, and I love you.”  
  
Tara stifled her sobs as she grabbed on to Dawn’s arm and tugged on it, having to drag her away as the older woman fought to escape her grasp, screaming out for Taytum as the woman was mauled in less than ten seconds.  
  
Taytum had been shaking like a leaf, her eyes shining with unshed tears, but her voice had been strong, and steady. Her mind had been made up before they were even thrown into that situation. It never wavered, not once.  
  
Not even as the first walker grabbed her and Dawn’s screams filled her ears.  
  
And then like that, she was gone._  
  
  
Her own panicked cries and shouts were what woke her from the fitful sleep, oblivious to the woman next to her attempting to comfort her. Dawn scrambled away from her in an instant, falling off of the edge of the bed in a tangle of sheets and sweaty limbs.  
  
The nightmare was still consuming her mind, her eyes open wide in horror and brimming with tears, her body trembling violently as she fought to catch her breath. Another body covered hers and hands framed her face, a soothing voice washing over her as she fought to regain control of her breathing and her racing mind.  
  
“Shhhh, shhh, it’s alright. I’m right here. Nothing is going to hurt you, and I’m not going anywhere. Just breathe baby, breathe.” Taytum stroked the side of Dawn’s face softly, forcing herself to remain calm. “Deep breaths, love; deep breaths. In through your nose, and out through your mouth. Slowly. Theeere you go, there you go. Everything is fine.”  
  
Dawn did as she was told, her heart still pounding madly against her ribcage, though she could feel the panic start to simmer down.  
  
Calm.  
  
Control.  
  
Breathe.  
  
It was just a dream.  
  
She choked back a sob and wrapped her arms around Taytum’s neck, crushing the younger woman to her body as she fought back the tremors and the cries, the nightmare still running vividly through her mind. She rolled them over and buried her face into the brunette’s neck, feeling hands run up and down her naked back in soothing strokes, the moving, breathing woman beneath her helping to calm her down even more. Dawn let out a shuddering sigh and moved down Taytum’s body slightly, pressing a kiss over the younger woman’s heart before pressing her ear to it, listening to the beautiful sound intently.  
  
Taytum moved her hands to tangle her fingers into the raven locks, the digits running through them gently. “Do you need to talk about it?” she asked softly, shifting her body slightly so that the woman on top of her fit more comfortably.  
  
Dawn shook her head against the bare chest beneath her, swallowing the knot in her throat. “It was so stupid, we all could have made it.”  
  
The younger woman smiled to herself and tugged on the strands in her hands, Dawn reluctantly looking up to meet the woman’s dark green gaze in the partial light flooding the room. “It was a dream, Dawn. A nightmare.” She stroked the older woman’s cheek softly, her brow creasing as the dark haired woman’s eyes glazed over with unshed tears once more. “They don’t always make sense.”  
  
“It was just…..way too real.”  
  
“I understand darling, I’ve been there too.” Taytum raised herself slightly and pressed a kiss to her forehead, searching the woman’s gaze with her own. “Are you going to be alright?”  
  
Dawn nodded her head and pressed her lips to the brunette’s, tilting her head back gently so she could deepen it. Taytum’s hands once again threaded through the black tresses, a flare of heat slowly running through her body. When oxygen became a necessary element their lips broke apart, Taytum panting slightly as Dawn’s lips trailed hotly across her cheek, the tip of her tongue gently tracing the deep scars along the woman’s face and to her jawline.  
  
“Tell me what you need.” she said breathlessly.  
  
“I need you.” Dawn said between kisses, lips languidly running down the younger woman’s arching neck. “I need to feel all of you.”  
  
Taytum quickly nodded her head and wet her lips, her breathing speeding up slightly as the older woman’s mouth attached itself to the side of her neck. She sucked in a sharp breath and groaned lowly in the back of her throat, feeling teeth nip at her, knowing this was payback for leaving marks all over the dark haired woman’s body. The lips moved onwards in their own random patterns, pressing deliberate kisses to the scars on her neck, collarbone, shoulder, and upper arm. Her skin twitched as the sensations started to overwhelm her, butterflies wreaking havoc in her stomach.  
  
The older woman was slow, and deliberate, her hands, mouth, and tongue working their way slowly down her body, inch by inch. By the time a warm mouth latched itself to one breast, tongue swirling around the hardened nipple, her core was throbbing in agonizing pleasure and she wasn’t able to remain quiet. A stuttering moan left her as she showed her other breast equal attention, mouth trailing down her quivering abdomen. Teeth slowly sinking into the skin beneath her navel caused her hips to buck involuntarily, tongue swirling soothingly over the dark mark a second later. She had resolved to keep her hands to herself as soon as Dawn had told her what she wanted, feeling that this is what the woman needed, but now she was struggling to abide by her own decision. She raised her hips as the older woman moved to pull her pants from her trim hips, balling her fists into the sheet beneath her arching back.  
  
Her heart pounded madly in her chest as the older woman sat back on her knees and viewed the trembling woman sprawled out before her, marveling at the woman’s lithe body, her well-defined musculature shining with a light sheen of sweat. She reached a hand out and ran a finger up one toned calf, forcing the memories of her slowly-fading dream to the very back of her mind.  
  
“You are breathtakingly gorgeous, and physically flawless.”  
  
Her cheeks flushed deeply and she smiled softly, though inside she was a little self-conscious about the compliment. “I don’t know about that…”  
  
Dawn leaned down and captured the blushing woman’s lips in a soft kiss, Taytum’s lips tearing away from Dawn’s as a moan ripped itself out of her chest, her neck arching as the older woman’s knee nudged her legs apart to rub against her moist center. “I do.” The older woman breathed, replacing her knee with her hand, fingers gliding effortlessly into the writhing woman’s body. “Everything about you is gorgeous.”  
  
Taytum cried out loudly as teeth sank into the inside of her thigh, fingers curling inside of her to be replaced by a tongue, her hands flying to black locks against her will, legs spreading wider to accommodate the woman between them. She tightened the grip she had in Dawn’s hair, the older woman’s moan sending vibrations through the younger woman’s body, causing her hips to rock onto the woman’s thrusting tongue involuntarily. Her breath escaped her in shuddering moans, her volume increasing as that familiar tightness began to build low in her belly, a flare of heat spreading through her entire body.  
  
Dawn’s tongue ran up her slit to circle around the brunette’s swollen clit, Taytum crying out loudly, fingers once again entering her, a slew of muttered words in a language Dawn had never heard before leaving the woman’s parted lips, her back arching off of the ground. The younger woman’s body began to tremble and shake, her thighs twitching and her toes curling as the pressure began to build in intensity, her walls clenching against thrusting fingers tightly.  
  
“D-Dawn…..”  
  
The older woman inserted a third finger into the woman’s heaving body, dragging her eyes up to the woman’s face, her head thrown back and her mouth opening and closing several times. “Tate, look at me.”  
  
She forced her eyes to open and looked down at the woman, her lust filled gaze fixated on her lover’s darkened blue eyes. “Promise me, that when and if the time comes and we’re in a very bad situation….. that you will not sacrifice yourself, for me.”  
  
“W…...what?”  
  
“Promise me Taytum.”  
  
“O-only if you promise me the same.”  
  
Fingers curled inside of her body to hit that sweet spot, Taytum crying out even louder than before, lips curling around her swollen nub and teeth grazing it lightly sending her over the edge. She yelled Dawn’s name aloud, her nails digging into one shoulder and her body shuddering violently. The older woman’s tongue continued to stroke the woman’s silky folds as she rode out the waves of her orgasm, another wracking through her body before she could even begin to come back down from her first. Dawn smirked against the younger woman’s thigh as the broken foreign language reached her ears once more, once again curling her fingers inside the woman’s body.  
  
A strangled sounding  _“Fuck!”_  ripped itself out of Taytum’s lungs as she came yet again, dragging the older woman up her body to wrap her arms tightly around her, holding her in place. The brunette’s body shook with tremors, her chest rising and falling deeply as she struggled to slow her breathing. Lips gently stroked the side of her face, a nose caressing the sweat dampened skin, and Taytum smiled softly. She turned her head toward the dark haired woman and met her seeking mouth, kissing her softly.  
  
“You know that I could never keep that promise.” Dawn whispered after a moment, resting her forehead against the other woman’s. She brushed her fingers through damp hair, feeling the younger woman’s body still trembling occasionally underneath her own.  
  
Taytum sighed and nudged Dawn’s nose with her own, closing her eyes momentarily as she fought the overwhelming exhaustion for as long as possible. She reopened her eyes and locked them onto the other woman’s, resting her hand on the side of her face. “Then you already know what my answer is going to be.”  
  
The older woman reached up and pulled a pillow down from the bed, maneuvering the sheet underneath them until it was covering both of their bodies. She pressed a kiss to the tip of Taytum’s nose, dropping the conversation for the time being. After a moment her head shot back up and she stared down at the dozing woman beneath her, an eyebrow arched. “Were you swearing in different languages?”  
  
A laugh bubbled up in the brunette’s chest and she cracked one eye open, staring up at the grinning woman above her. “Really? You’re asking me that now?”  
  
“Look I get that you have a bit of an accent, but….”  
  
She tugged on Dawn gently and the older woman resumed laying on her, the two sighing in content as they got comfortable once more. “Yes love, but it was purely subconscious. I grew up in Norway, and my family moved here when I was ten. My mother was Norwegian, and my father was Swedish.”  
  
“So you’re like some Scandinavian Viking Goddess, then. I knew it.”  
  
“Hardly.” the woman snorted, feeling herself starting to drift off. “Now shut up and go back to sleep, yeah?”  
  
“Whatever you say, my Thane.”  
  
The two women finally drifted off in a comfortable silence, the nightmare that had shattered the peace not thirty minutes before the furthest thing from either one’s mind. Realistically they should have rejoined the group, or acquainted themselves better with the community they were now a small part of.  
  
But there would be plenty of time for that later.  
  
For now, they remained wrapped around one another, bodies rising and falling in rhythm as they fell into a deep sleep.  
  
One void of nightmares and terrifying images.


End file.
